VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0007/01 0072154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 072154Z JAN 10
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7978
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0733
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0341

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: UN - GA FUNDS SPECIAL POLITICAL MISSIONS FOR 2010 
 
 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary: On December 24, 2009, the Fifth 
(Administrative and Budgetary) Committee of the GA completed 
its consideration of the proposed 2010 budgets for 27 Special 
Political Missions (SPMs) by approving funding under the 
regular budget of $569.5 million, a reduction of $30 million 
(5%) in the SYG's proposal of $599.5 million.  The $30 
million reduction consists of $9.9 million to the proposed 
budget of UNAMA, $4.9 million to several other SPMs, and a 
reduction of $15.2 million to be applied to any/all SPMs at 
the discretion of the Secretariat.  The budget includes $232 
million for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) 
(see paragraph 3 below), $159 million for the UN Assistance 
Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), and $18 million and $19 million, 
respectively, for the new UN Integrated Peacebuilding Offices 
in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) and in Guinea-Bissau 
(UNIOGBIS).  The budget of $569.5 million represents an 
increase of $129.7 million (29%) over the 2009 budget of 
$439.8 million with UNAMA and UNAMI accounting for over 65% 
of the budget.  The $77.1 million increase in UNAMA's budget 
over 2009 accounts for 59% of the overall increase of $129.7 
million. 
 
¶2.  (U)  The Committee approved the SYG's request to use up 
to $7.9 million in UNAMA's budget during the first four 
months of 2010 to meet urgent security requirements for UN 
personnel in Afghanistan.  (See paragraph 4.)  The Committee 
also approved $5 million in commitment authority to enable 
the Secretariat to undertake design work for the construction 
of the UN integrated compound in Iraq.  (See paragraph 5.) 
Language submitted by Syria calling for deletion of certain 
results-based budgeting elements in the proposed budget for 
Special Envoy Larsen for implementation of Security Council 
resolution 1559 was withdrawn.  (See paragraphs 6-7.)  A 
number of proposals were withdrawn that presage further 
discussions on these matters further in the session and/or 
future GAs.  US statement delivered to the Committee on 
December 17, 2009 is posted on the Mission's web site - 
www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov.  End Summary. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  UNAMA: Acting on the recommendation of the 
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions 
(ACABQ) (A/64/7/Add.13), the Committee reduced the proposed 
budget of $241.9 million by $9.9 million to $232 million. 
During the negotiations, USDel confirmed with the appropriate 
Secretariat officials that these and other possible 
reductions arising out of the additional amount of $15.2 
million cut from the overall SPM budget would not undermine 
mandate implementation, including the opening of new 
provincial offices.  As noted in the report of the ACABQ, 
additional resources would be made available during 2010, as 
necessary. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Security for UN personnel in Afghanistan:  In 
response to the request conveyed in the SYG's letter of 
December 9, 2009 (A/C.5/64/10) and as recommended by the 
ACABQ in the oral statement of its Chair to the Fifth 
Committee on December 17, 2009 (sent via email to IO/MPR), 
the Committee approved the use of up to $7.9 in UNAMA's 
budget during the first four months of 2010 to address the 
urgent need to enhance the level of security for all UN 
personnel working in Afghanistan.  As indicated in the SYG's 
letter, he will submit a full funding proposal at the first 
resumed session of the Fifth Committee in March 2010 after an 
in-depth analysis of security-related requirements in 
Afghanistan and other countries is carried out.  The 
Committee approved the advance use of the funds as a one-time 
ad hoc arrangement on the understanding that the funding 
would be replenished as necessary. 
 
¶5.  (U)  UN integrated compound in Iraq: As reported in the 
proposed budget for UNAMI (A/64/349/Add.5 - paragraphs 
117-128) and commented on in the report of the ACABQ 
(A/64/7/Add.13 - paragraphs 175-180), the Secretariat is now 
ready to move forward with the delayed construction project 
with the completion date being revised from October 2010 to 
mid-2012.  With this in mind, the Fifth Committee approved 
the SYG's request for renewal of the previously authorized $5 
million in commitment authority to enable the Secretariat to 
undertake design work for the construction of the compound 
and called on the SYG to submit an updated report on the 
financial requirements for construction of the compound to 
the 65th GA.  Note: as reported in paragraph 126 of the 
proposed budget for UNAMI, while a trust fund has been 
established to receive the $25 million contribution the Iraqi 
Cabinet has decided to make towards building the compound, 
the Government of Iraq has not yet transferred the funds. 
End Note. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Special Envoy for Implementation of SCR 1559 (Terje 
Roed-Larsen):  As has occurred in previous negotiations on 
 
the proposed budgets for the Special Envoy and for the UN 
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Syrian delegation 
politicized the work of the Committee by objecting to the 
Secretariat's analysis of the mandates in SC resolutions 
1559, 1680 and 1701 as conveyed in the results-based 
budgeting (RBB) elements or "logical frameworks" contained in 
the 2009 proposed budget for the Special Envoy 
(A/64/349/Add.1).  Syria submitted the following paragraph in 
the draft on financing the 27 SPMs: 
 
"Decides to delete the expected accomplishment (c), 
associated indicators of achievement, performance measures 
and outputs in the logic framework of the budget of the 
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the implementation 
of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004);" 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Note:  A GA decision to actually amend or delete 
RBB logical framework elements contained in a proposed budget 
for an SC authorized mission could be interpreted as 
constituting a reinterpretation of the mandate as decided by 
the Security Council and thus undermine the role of the 
Council.  End Note.  USDel successfully worked to ensure that 
Lebanon did not align itself with Syria and communicated its 
views to other G-77 members.  The G-77 did not take a 
position on Syria's language, Syria was isolated, and was 
forced to withdraw its paragraph. 
 
¶8.  (U)   During the negotiations, the EU submitted language 
and advocated for a 10% reduction of $60 million to the 
proposed budget while Mexico called for a 12.5% reduction of 
$75 million. 
 
¶9.  (U)  The African Group submitted language requesting the 
SYG to present proposals to the 65th GA for establishing a 
separate account for SPMs.  Mexico called for a separate 
account to be set up for SPMs in 2011 with SPMs being funded 
under the peacekeeping scale.  In the end, USDel and others 
noted that the SYG, in his statement to the Committee on 
October 29, 2009 and elsewhere, cited "the need for an 
alternative funding arrangement for Special Political 
Missions" as one of his three priorities for streamlining the 
UN budget process and noted his intention to submit a report 
containing such a proposal during the 64th GA for 
consideration in the 65th GA. 
RICE